Steam-equalizer.



E. WAIT. STEAM EQUALIZBR. APPLICATION FILED SEPTJM) 1908.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

assess.

HENRY H. XVAIT, F

Tron.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-E QUALIZER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 30,

To all who) Qit may concern:

Be it known that citizen of the United cago, 1n the county I, HENRY H.VVArr, a

States, residing at Chiof Cook and State of .llliiiois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement i 11 Steam-Equalizers, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description. This invention relates gines, absorb the equalinethe pressure tinuous supply of stea constant pressure. su pressureturbines. an improved appai'at will received from the e back-pressure.

Steam i'egenerators have heretofore constructed in whi h blown throughsmal merged pipe, into being violently wherebv upon the lo thewithdrawal of bine, the heated steam as engine being received intervalsto supply the heat required.

is in the use of this certain baclepressurc niary engine which steam,the steam into the two feet below wa. the

This makes a very considerable static head steam to overcome: and as thesteam is delivered in sudden for the otl'ered by the inerti must bedisplaced back-pressure.

of, restricted currentof entraining contact with the fluid contactcauses a circulation of the fluid such that the portions in'ipact willflow toward the cooler portions of the fluid body and preferably intorewith the steam current, the

peated contact ti i ally g ll My object: is to provide be simple andetl'ective sent the minimum resistance to the steam a body of water, thewater agitated thereby and acting to absorb the heat of steam for use inthe turwater will give oti' such required; the exhaust fromthe becausethe main ())G1llll 'S lettin h 1-) gives rise to a still greater but asubstantially free and unimpeded,

heat from such steam and so as to give ott a coniii at an approximately,itahle for use in lowapparatus i us of this type which and will prengineso as to avoid been the exhaust steam is l openings in a sub-.

the exhaust; steam, wering ofpressure by at sutliciently frequent Theretype of regenerator a exerted upon the prisupplies the exhaust ter aregenerally about surface of the water.

pulls the resistance a of the water which my invention the the. surfacethere- St'OZllll is directed into and this receiving the steam g to theplace of imvpact.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909. 1908. Serial at. 455,564.

The steam is preferably directed into repeated contact with the surfaceof the fluid by means of a helical steam chamber through which the steamflows in such a manner that at each convolution it passes across thetluid surface, and finally returns through a central pipe, around theoutside of which said helical chamber is formed. A similar helicalchamber; is preferably provided for the water or other fluid, so thatsuch fluid-setin motion by the impact of the steam follows a helicalpath, at each convolution of which it is exposed to the steam. Theheated fluid is thus caused to mingle thoroughly with the portions whichare cooler, so that fresh surfaces are continually being exposed, andthe heat thus ctliciently absorbed.

I will explain my invention in detail and describe further featuresthereof by reference t0 the particular embodiment shown in theaccon'ipanying tll'iH 'ing, which is illustrative. of the principlesinvolved.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my lll'lPl'OVOtl steam regenerator;Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a crosssection online 33 of Fig. l.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever shown.

In the form ofeqiializer shown, the container d is a horizontal hollowcylinder having pipes a and (3 extending longitudinally therethrough,and plates 7, 7, forming a double helix throughout the container, saidplates extending from the outer surfaces of said pipes to the innerwalls of the container. The container will be filled with water up toapproximately the level indieated, which will not ordinarily rise abovethe under surface of the upper pipe 5. The surface of the water formsone wall of a helical steam chamber formed by the plates 7, 7, about theupper pipe 5, said helical chamber thus forming constricted passagesconstituting, in effect, nozzles for directing a: substantially free andunimpeded current of steam into ent aining contact with the surface ofthe water. At one end, said steam chamber-is in COllllIlHIllCtLtlOllwith a source of exhaust steam 8, and at the otherend it,

communicates with an inlet the interior of the pipe 5.

end of said pipe 5 which the steam is Withdrawn to be utilized in alow-pressure turbine or otherwise. As shown, the outlet pipe 9 leadsinto a trap 9 leading into At the opposite there is an outlet-9 fromlows: Exhaust steam a mitted from 14- adapted to receive and collect anyentrained water, and a pipe leads from said trap to the turbine or otherdevice which is to utilize the steam. 'Bafile plates 16, 16, arepreferably provided. within the pipe 5 to reduce the speed of the steamcurrent and assist in equalizing the pressure thereof. The plates 7 alsoform a helical chamber for the fluid surrounding the lower pipe 6. Saidpipe 6 has an inlet opening 11 at one end thereof, -and anoutlet'opening 12 at the other end, said openings being in communicationwith the helical water chamber, so that the water after flowing throughthe helical convolutions in one direction will be returned through thepipe in the opposite direction.

Suitable means will be provided for preventing the fluid in thecontainer from rising above a given level. As shown, an overl'low pipe13 leads from the water chamber to the chamber 1-1 of the trap, which isprovided with a float-valve 15 adapted to open when the water risesabove a predetermined point. The regenerated steam is conducted from thechamber 1% through the outlet pipe 10.

The equalizer may also be provided with an automatic escape-valve forsteam, adapted to open if the steam pressure should for any reason riseabove a predetermined value.

I preferably provide deflecting plates within the container, to assistin directing the steam and water currents. Theplates 17, 17, assist in.directing the surface water downward so that-it may pass under the pipe6 and rise again in the next compartment or convolution of its helicalpassage. The steam-deflecting plates 18 are preferably sheets of metalfastened at one edge to the side of the upper or steam pipe 5, andconforming in shape to the pitch of the convolutions of the helicalsteam chamber. The free edges of said plates are adj ustably supportedso that the lowersurfaces thereof may be brought nearer to or fartherfrom the surface of the water in the corresponding compartment; wherebythe impact of the ste n upon the water, and the amount of sin ice waterto be disg; eed in each compa' cut may be regulated.

i coil spring at the inner end of the plate 18 may be employed in orderto maintain the outer or free end of said plate in close engagement withsteam-pipe I The operation of the a paratus is as folthe pipe 8 iscarried downward around the side of the pipe 5, in the firstcompartment, and is blown through the narrow horizontal space betweenthe surface of the plate 18 and the surface of the water. After passingthrough this openin the steam current is conducted in a spiral patharound the pipe 5 into the next compartment, where it agaln blowsthrough the opening next to the surface of the water, and so continuesin its travel through the helical chamber, being repeatedly directedinto impact with the water in the successive compartments, until, in thelast compartment, it passes through opening 9 into the interior of thepipe 5. Its passage through said pipe is retarded by the battle plates16. The entraining contact of the steam current against the surface ofthe water in each compartment draws the Water laterally across thecontainer so that it tends to circulate around the lower pipe 6. Suchcirculation is assisted by the directing plates 17, and the water withwhich the steam con-- downwardly into the colder portions of the bodyfluid, which is thus caused to absorb the heat. The violent surging ofthe steam received is retarded and the pressure thereof equalized, sothat the delivery from the pipe 9 will be approximately constant inpressure.

It will be observed that the passage of steam longitudinally through thevessel by way f the helical steam chamber is in a direction opposite tothe longitudinal flow of water through its helical chamber. One objectof this arrangement is to make the head produced by the friction of thesteam on the water partially compensate for the difference in headcaused by the drop in pressure of the steam as it passes through thesuccessive compartments. If the arrangement were such that the water andsteam traveled longitudinally in the same direction, instead of inopposite directions, there would be a tendency for the water to pile upstill higher in the successive compartments. With the arrangement asshown, the flow of water in its helical chamber is toward the lefthandend of the container, while the helical flow of the steam is toward theright hand end; so that the tendency of the water to pile up at the lefthand end of the container is opposed by the effect of the slightlyhigher steam pressure in the first steam compartments.

I claim:

1. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a vessel adapted tocontain heat retainving fluid, of means for directing a constrictedcurrent of steam through said vessel and into entraining contact withthe free surface of such fluid, the vessel being arranged to cause thefluid current set up by the friction seas-ea of the steam upon thesurface of such fluid to circulate so as to come into repeated contactwith the steam current.

Ina steam equalizer, the combination with a container for fluid, of asteam chamber above the fluid level, and a. guide plate close to thetluid surface adapted to cause a constricted passage of steam under saidplate into frictional contact with the fluid surface.

3. In a steam equalizer, containing a body of heat-retaining liuid, thecombination with means for directing a constricted current'ot steam intofrictional contact ith the free surface of such liuid. of direct meansfor said fluid adapted to cause ti portions receiving the steam impactto tlow toward the cooler portions of the body and thence to return tothe place of impact.

t. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a horizontally disposedcontainer-for heat-retaining fluid, a. constricted passageway for steamcxtcmjiingabove the body of liuid in said container and providing meansfor direct ing a currentof steam transversely in contact with thesurface of such fluid.

lates between the outer surface 0* a. In a steam equalizer, thecombination with a container for liuid, of means adapted to direct arestricted current of steam into repeated entraining impact with a freesurface of the iiuid in such containe and ii-- rccting plates adapted tocans circulation of the heated fluid thrmgh. tilt) cooler portions ofthe body and. pas places of steam-impact in series.

6. A nu equalizer havinga. helical water chamber, and a helical steamchamber parallel therewith, said chambers being con.- structed to bringthe steam into impact with the surface of the water at each convolution;said helical chambers being so constrncted and having inlet and outlet,0 enings so located as to produce a longitn inal flow of the water inthe opposite direction from the longitudinal How of the steam.

7. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a container forheat-retaining fluid, of a pipe extending longitudinally of saidcontainer above the body of fluid therein, and guide plates between theouter surface of said ipe and the inner wall of the container,

forming a helical chamber around said pipe, said chamberbeing inct'unmunication with a source of exhaust steam at. one end and being incommunication with the interior of said pipe at the other end said pipehavin an outlet for steam at the opposite end from that at which itreceives steam from said helical chamber.

8. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a container forheat-retaining fluid, of a pipcextending' longitudinally of saidcontainer above. the body of fluid therein, guide said pipe and theinner wall of the contain -u or )i c said steam chamber with;

a helical chamber around said pipe, said chamber being in communicationwith a source of exhaust steam at one end and hem in communication withthe interior of sai pipe at the other end, said pipe having an 9. .ln asteam equalizer, the combination with a container for heal-retainin"fiuid, of a pair of pipes extending longitut inally in the interior ofsaid container, one of said pipes being below the level olthe fluid insaid container, and the otherwpipe being above such level, guide plates"forming a double hell); around said pipes, the lower pipe having awaterinlet opei'iing at." one end and a water-outlet. opt ting at theother end, whereby the water caused to How through the interior oi'saidloweitp ipe from end to end and a helical path around the outsidethereof; the upper ;iipc.having a steam inlet opening at one end and asteam outlet opening at the other cnchat helical steam chamber beingformed around said i being in communication with a source of steam atthe opposite end from the opening into said upper pipe.

.10. in a steam equalizer, the combination with a l'iorizontaliydisposed container rided into a series. of ments for steam and water, ofmeans for directing the steam water currents across each corn'iartmentin the same direction and through the series of compartments in oppositedirections. I

11. in a steam equalizer, the combination a container adapted to bepartially filled with fluid, of plates dividing said container into aseriesof compartments, said compartments being in. communication abovethe fluid level and having means for directing a flow of steam laterallythrough constrictedpassages across the surface of fluid in eachcompartment and through said compartm'ents in series.

12. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a cont-ainer'for iiuid,of a. pipe above the level of fluid in said container, means fordirecting a current of steam around the exterior of said pipe next tothe fluid surface, a sheet metal deflecting plate secured at its upperedge to the side of said plate, and extending around the under surfaceof said pipe, the free edge of said" late being adjustably supported,whereby e area oi the steam passage bounded by the fluid stir-- t'acemay be regulated.

13. In a steam equalizer the combinationwith a container forheat-retaining finial, of

a pipe extending longitudinally of said com tamer above the body offluid therein, and a and battle plates in said transverse cznnpart.

jpeded jet of steam to forcibly impinge on.

portions of said water and thereby to propel 'such portions in thedirection of impact of said jet of steam.

15.- In a steam equalizer,- the combination with a vessel containing abody of water as a heatab orbing and heat-disengaging medium. of meansfor causing a free and unimpeded jet of steam to forcibly impinge onportions of said Water and thereby to propel such portions in thedirection of impact of said jet of steam and means for conducting waterfrom'thc colder portions of said body of water to the point of impact ofsaid jetof steam. I

. 16. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a vessel containing abody of water which acts as a heat-absorbing and heat-disengagingmedium, a nozzle for causinga jet of steam to forcibly impinge on thesurface of said body of water at one or more points thereof and therebyto propel portions of said Water from the points of impact of saidsteam.

17. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a vessel containing abody of water which acts as a heatabsorbing and heat-diseng'ziging,medium, a'nozzle for directing a free jet of steam at a high velocityinto frictional impact with portions of said body of Water and therebyto heat such portions-of the water and to carry the heated portions inthe direction of impact of said jet of steam, and means for replacingthe portions thus carried away by water from the colder portions of saidbody of water.

18. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a vessel containing abody of Water, said vessel beingprovided with guiding means for guidingthe circulation of the Water therein, a nozzle for directing a jet ofsteam into impact with said body of Water in a direction to cause theflow of water in the path provided by said guiding means.

1-9. In a steam equalizer, the combination with a. vessel containing abody of Water, a nozzle for directing a jet of steam into impact withsaid body of Water, and "guiding means for successively conducting awaythe portions of Water receiving the impact of the steam and for leadingthe colder portions of the body of Water to the place of impact.

In witness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe 8name this 18th day ofSeptember A. 1).,

HENRY H. WAIT.

